


Love Letter to the Show and Movies

by Ysabel (Mystical_Isabel)



Category: Cobra Kai (Web Series), Karate Kid (Movies)
Genre: Analysis, Gen, Reflection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-19 04:02:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29744703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mystical_Isabel/pseuds/Ysabel
Summary: Today February 27 I rewatched Season 2 Episode 6, and on watching the scene with Tommy's death, I felt sad, nostalgic, but also grateful. I wanted to share with the fandom my view and my thoughts.I know some of this may be like preaching to the choir xD but the feels must be shared <3
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

This show changed my life. Even before meeting some very lovely and loving fandom members.

When it came out on YouTube, I remember seeing and listening to the season 2 trailer. I especially remember the dialogue bit scene where Daniel and Johnny have a confrontation.

_"You wanna do this?"_

_"Bring it."_

At the time I didn't give it much thought, thinking it was just another random action series. Plus it didn't seem worth it to get YouTube premium just for it. Soon it came out on Netflix. I watched the trailer. I thought to myself _woah, they're continuing the karate kid movie? That's so cool!_

It's actually funny because at the time I hadn't watched any of the movies, just knew the basic premise of it being about a bullied kid who learns karate by doing chores. I knew about "wax on wax off" by the osmosis of general culture. What I loved about the idea was the fact that the story was being continued. Not as a reboot, but as an actual continuation with the same characters. And the same actors, too!

I think the actors are a big part of what makes the show so special because they actually got to live through their characters' story. It would have been a whole different thing if any other actors had been cast. I remember talking about this on Reddit and a person said they thought that part was mostly a gimmick. But it's not, it's so not. Because I believe the characters become a part of the actor, especially a movie as well made as Karate Kid (1984).

Anyway. So there I was, watching the show by myself. I tried to get my family to watch, but at first they weren't very interested. So I watched the first season and was entranced. The story was so pure, so vulnerable.

Here was this guy, Johnny Lawrence. A washed up 50-something year-old who'd had his big moment in school but had lost it all, including his purpose in life. And then there was Miguel Díaz, a poor latino boy in need of someone to teach him how to stand up for himself. A sort of mirror of the relationship between Daniel and Mr Miyagi, and for Johnny, a second chance in life, a second chance to redeem himself. And he found in Miguel much more than that. He found a surrogate son when his own son pushed him away. Though, admittedly, Robby's sentiment was understandable, Miguel believed in Johnny.

And then there was Daniel LaRusso, the eternal rival who had become successful in life in a way Johnny couldn't forget or escape. Even when they hadn't seen each other in years, Daniel LaRusso's business seemed to mock and follow Johnny, reminding him of his failures. Daniel had achieved a happy, good life.

As I see it, two sides of the same coin, so similar and yet so different. Plus, the show did really well on the idea that no one was completely bad or completely good. Or, in Ali's words from season 3, "there's always three sides of the story. Yours, theirs, and the truth." Maybe not a perfect quote, but embodies the theme of the show really well.

After watching the second season, before the third came out, I decided to watch the movies. And so I watched the first one. There was so much more to the story than just the bullied kid who learned to stand up for himself. The story was about so much more.


	2. The Karate Kid (1984)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I talk about the movie theme or message, comparing the two Senseis and their philosophy. Then, I also mention the socioeconomic aspect that, while not a major theme, does come into play throughout the movie.

The Karate Kid is one of those movies that everyone should watch at least once. As I said, I think it has several themes and messages besides just a coming of age story.

**Balance and respect VS No Mercy**

First off, let's start with the two Senseis/mentors. It's interesting to see how both John Kreese and Noriyuki Miyagi fought in wars. Mr. Miyagi was a war hero who fought for honor and peace in the Second World War. He lost his wife and child while they were in a concentration camp, so he never got to see his child. And yet, he overcame the loss with forgiveness, humility and love. Of course it still pained him, as we see in the movie when he drinks. But he didn't stay in that pain. He found balance.

Meanwhile, John Kreese fought in the Vietnam War. The movie doesn't give us much context, but historically Vietnam was a defeat for the Americans. He faced loss like Miyagi, but instead of forgiving, he held onto his pain and anger, and there was maybe even some self-hatred mixed in there, too.

As a side note, the way their backstories are introduced is genius and a perfect example of showing VS telling. Kreese doesn't talk about 'Nam, but the movie shows us the picture of him at the war when Daniel goes to check out the dojo. And Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel some of his own story when he starts drinking during the anniversary of their death, but Daniel discovers more of the story when he reads the newspaper article.

So these two different Senseis passed on their teachings to their students. Daniel learned balance, patience, respect, inner strength. The whole wax on wax off, to me, wasn't just about muscle memory and breathing techniques, but about building character and learning to be humble, too.

Johnny learned to solve problems through punches. He learned discipline and strength, but not about balance, not about where the line is and how not to cross it. In fact, the "No Mercy" line of the Cobra Kai philosophy would suggest that it was more or less the opposite. There  _ is  _ no such thing as a line when dealing with an enemy. "A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy." So everyone who was against them became an enemy and had to be dealt with. With that in mind, it's easier to see why Johnny and his friends acted the way they did, but John Kreese took this philosophy even farther at the tournament when he tells Bobby to cheat "I want him out of commission," and then Johnny to fight dirty "sweep the leg".

I think, when looking at the Cobra Kai show, it makes perfect sense that the two of them ended up where they did.

**Expectations and economic classes.**

The introduction to the movie is great, and the music is very well chosen. It gave me a sense of new beginnings, a journey with a hint of nostalgia. This is probably the way Daniel feels, plus maybe some dread because he wanted to stay in New Jersey. The only reason he moved to California is that his mother got a better job. The dialogue in this scene is really interesting and shows one of the minor movie themes, about expectations and the difference in economic classes. What I mean with expectations is the idea that “this is it, this is the end of the line”, like Lucille LaRusso exclaims. That idea that things will finally be better, that this is where they’re meant to be (and in a way, she’s right, isn’t she). But then, once they reach their new home, there's barely any water in the pool and the faucet is broken. And yet, it’s this less than perfect situation that leads him to meet the man who will become his Sensei.

We also get a look at this theme when Daniel meets Ali. She is "from the hills", meaning she's rich. And yet, the two end up dating, which would make it seem as though they don't really care about that. Except Ali's parents, and maybe her friends, and Johnny and his friends as well, do. And it's highlighted at the club, when Daniel has to go in through the kitchen, because he wouldn't have been just let in without a proper invitation.

Then, before that, we got the scene at Golf N Stuff where Lucille is coming to pick Daniel and Ali up and they have their car that doesn't work properly and then we have Johnny's grand car.

So all this sets Daniel as the underdog boy from Reseda who in Macchio's words, "had no business winning anything," and yet he does.

**To be continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)
> 
> If you want to share your own ideas and impressions please do! <3


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